A New Story
by Katani-chan
Summary: A few years after the movie, Jack and Sally have a reason to be concerned about a child's behavior. Chapter three up after about two months! Umm, sorry bout that. ^_^;
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except my character Sara.  
  
Yeesh, another new idea and I'm still trying to finish up my other fics too. I've got to stop doing this. Well, I hope that I don't get too OOC but this is my first try for a NBC fic. Also, I switch POVs a bit in this fic so I hope I don't confuse you.  
  
A New Story  
Chapter 1  


I had another nightmare. But this time daddy wasn't there to get rid of it. Usually if I have a nightmare he'll make it go away, but he isn't home. I wish he was or that he had let me come with, but he said that he wanted to visit a friend and that if I came it would ruin the surprise. Daddy likes surprises. And this was a bad nightmare. Usually they aren't very bad, just things like me being chased by something big, like a cloth bag that has bugs falling out of it's mouth, but this time it was different, scarier. I was up in the air, but not really flying like Barty, my friend. He has bat wings. And then there was light, and fire, and I was falling, and there were toys falling around me, they were on fire. When I woke up from it I screamed and Mommy came in, but even she couldn't make it completely go away. Only daddy knows how to do that. But mommy can make sleeping potions so I'm feeling very tired again now. I hope the nightmare doesn't come back.

The next morning:  
I was downstairs, making breakfast, when she slid down the bannister, shrieking like a little banshee along the way. She runs up to me and hugs me as best she can. She can only reach my thighs. As she sits down in her chair and I serve her breakfast I ask her: "How did you sleep last night?" She looks up at me, thinking that I should know that. I'm the mom, I know everything. Children are so trusting. "Well except for the nightmare I slept okay. The potion helped alot. Ooh, pumpkin waffles!" I put some breakfast on my plate and sit down next to her. As I'm about to eat she swallows the mouthful of waffles and speaks. "I had a different nightmare last night. It was scarier than the usual one." This is interesting, she's never actually talked about her nightmares before. "Y'see, in the usual one I'm being chased by a big cloth man with bugs coming out of his mouth." I'm shocked. Boogeyman is gone, how could she know enough about him to even have nightmare like that."But this time I was flying, but not like Barty. I was sitting in something. Then there were these lights and I was falling and there were these toys falling all around me and they were on fire. Then I woke up." I sat there, I was having a hard time believing this. She had just described the worst part of Jack's flight, and she had never even known about it. I need to talk to Jack, he ought to know something about these nightmares."Mommy, are you okay? You look scared." "It's ok Sara,I just remembered I nightmare I had once that was kind of like that." Except it was real.

In Christmas town(same day):  
I finally convinced him!It took me a whole day, much longer than I had been expecting, but he's agreed to come with me! I haven't let on that I have a suprise for him when we get back home, well my home at least. I'm sitting in his right now. He'll be so surprised to see Sara! And I'm sure Sara will love to meet him. I read those christmas book to her so many times that she could make it look like she was reading it when she would just be reciting the entire story from memory. She's such a bright girl. I just hope those annoying nightmares haven't bothered her too much. They've seemed to take a special interest in her, which is quite displeasing. She never tells me what the nightmares are about though. Oh, well I guess he's finally ready. I just can't wait!

  
  
Well, I hope you will remember to review. And I will get the next chapter out quickly.(Mutters to self) Another fic, what was I thinking! I have what, 6 other fics to finish? Aiyah. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Don't own Nightmare Before Christmas. Probably never will either *sigh*   
  
Wow, I am really slow, aren't I? Well, I'm trying here, I really am. But I have so many fics going at once, plus a comic that I'm working on, plus skool and all that irritating stuff.Oh yeah, this is in third person.  
  
New Story  
Chapter 2

As Jack walked up the stairs to his house, Santa walking cautiously behind him, Santa wondered something._What have I gotten myself into?_ Then Jack turned around and asked Santa to wait for just a moment. He walked into the house and shut the door. Santa could hear him call for someone, but all the other sounds were muffled. Then Jack poked his head out and told Santa to come in. When Santa entered he was immediately greeted by Sally. "Hello Santa." "Hello Sally. It's nice to see you again." Then, all of a sudden, a small blur came running down the stairs and towards Santa, shrieking for all it was worth. It bolted to the top of his head and clung to it. Santa stood very still, worried that this was one of those strange creatures that he had seen running all over this place. Then Sally and Jack started laughing. Jack reached up and took the thing off of his head and held it. When Santa got a good look at it, he was surprised. It was very small, but it's arms and legs were already somewhat lanky looking. It had messy brown hair and big, almost black eyes. It was wearing very beat up play clothes. "Santa, I would like you to meet our daughter, Sara." Santa's eyes got very wide. "D-daughter?" Realizing that she was being talked about, Sara climbed onto Jack's shoulders and peered intently at Santa. Then, after a couple seconds of careful study, she leaned down a little and whispered loudly to her father. "He looks a little different than he does in the books. He's higher." Jack laughed. "You mean taller honey." "Oh. Taller then. He looks taller. And his clothes are darker." Jack just laughed some more. "She's very a observant little girl. Well, would you like something to eat Santa? Sally's a wonderful cook."

After they finished eating Sara walked back over to her dad and climbed onto his lap. She looked up at him. "Daddy?" "What is it Sara?" "I don't think that Santa likes me." "What do you mean?" "Well, he keeps looking at me, then at you, then at mommy, and shaking his head. And when he saw me when he first came, he looked scared." Jack chuckled lightly. "Don't worry sweetie, it's not that he doesn't like you, it's just that he doesn't believe that you're really mine and mommy's." "Well why not?" "He knew us when we were a bit younger and, well, he didn't really have a very good opinion of me back then. Actually, the only one in Halloween town that he had any regard for was your mother." "How come?" "That's a story for later. Right now the nightmares are interested in you enough, without you hearing that story." "Oh, ok. And daddy?" "Yes?" "I had another nightmare when you were gone. It was a different one than usual."

Santa turned to Sally. "What are they talking about?" Sally's face looked troubled. "She's telling him about the nightmares. He's angry enough at them already for bothering her so often but this latest nightmare has me really worried. You see, she never used to tell us about her nightmares, they were never too bad, but this one.... It just has me worried." Santa looked at Sara again, trying to hear what they were saying.

"Really? How so?" "Well, usually it's just this big cloth bag that had bugs falling out of its mouth." Jack inhaled sharply._Oogey. But how could she know?_"But this time it was different. Easier to see what was happening. I was flying, but I was sitting in something. And then there were lights, and fire, and I was falling, and all of these toys that were on fire were falling around me." Jacks eyes widened. "A..are you sure that's what your dream was about?" "Of course. Why would I say something that didn't happen, even if it was a dream?" Jack just sat there, staring into space for a few minutes, before picking Sara up and walking towards the stairs. Santa could hear Sara protest. "But I don't wanna take a nap daddy! It's still early!" Jack said something. "Oh, okay. Promise?" Jack replied and then Sara hugged him.

When Jack came back downstairs Sally walked up to him. "Are you okay Jack?" "Yes, it just surprised me that she would even know enough about it to let the nightmares make something of it." "I know. Even the ones with Oogey Boogey. We never told her about any of that and her little friends were probably too young to remember much." "And I doubt that the older ones would tell her about it either. To them it's history. Something exciting that failed and was never tried again." Santa stood up. "What are you talking about?" "The time that I tried to take your job." Jack said with a half-hearted grin. "Oh. Well why does this have you so worried?" "Sara's been having regular nightmares that have included either Oogey Boogey or Jack's ride and we never-" but Sally was cut short by a loud shriek. Jack immediately ran as fast as he could towards Sara's room. Sally stood, worried. Santa put a hand on her shoulder. "What is it?" "She's never ever actually shrieked before. This is bad. She maybe yelled for Jack, or even just called for him once she got used to her usual nightmare, but she never shrieked before." "Hmm."

When Jack got to Sara's room he ran to her bed and she all but leapt for him, holding him tightly. Jack told the nightmares to go away, but they didn't. They were having too much fun with Sara. Jack roared at them, ordering them to leave. Frightened by Jack's rare display of anger, the nightmares fled. Dark shadows just on the edge of awareness. Then he turned his attention back to Sara. "A...are they gone daddy?" Jack had never heard her sound so frightened. "Yes honey, they're gone." Sara grinned weakly. "Daddy? Can I go downstairs with you?" "Of course you can Sara." "Wait daddy. I wanna tell you something first." "Sure. What is it?" "Don't go through any new doors, okay daddy?" "Alright honey. Now let's go downstairs. I'm sure that your mother is worried about you." "Okay daddy."

Jack carried Sara downstairs and put her on the couch. Then he went into the kitchen to get her some juice. Sally followed him. "What happened?" "I don't know. She didn't tell me. The only thing she said was that I shouldn't go through any new doors." "What does that mean?" "I think she was talking about the doors to places like Christmas Town." Sally nodded her head. AS Jack poured the juice into a bright orange cup he sighed. "The nightmares are getting more persistent. I had to yell at them before they'd leave." "This isn't good." "I know. But I don't know what to do about it yet." "Well right now you should probably give Sara her juice." Jack grinned and walked back into the living(?)room.

When Jack and Sally entered the room they were greeted by the sounds of crying and attempted comfort. Sally quickly picked up Sara and started calming her while Jack looked menacingly at Santa. "What did you do Santa?" "I..I just asked her why she had screamed and she started crying. I didn't mean to upset her." Jacks expression softened, but it was still evident that he wasn't happy. "Well you couldn't have known better." Jack walked over to Sara and held the juice cup near her. She took it and sipped it slowly. "Are you alright?" "Yes. Are we going soon? I wanna see Christmas Town." Sally looked startled. "What's she talking about Jack?" "I promised her that she could come with when I brought Santa back to his home." "I wanna see the snow and the reindeer." Sally looked at Sara, whose eyes were practically shining at the thought of seeing things that she had only read about before. "Alright. You should probably go anyway. It'll be getting dark soon and I don't think that Santa would much like being here after dark. He's uncomfortable enough during the daytime." "You're right. Well Sara, go get your coat. And do you think you could put something a bit nicer on?" "Okay daddy!" Sara jumped out of her mother's arms, leaving her empty cup behind, and ran up to her room. Santa watched her go. "What was that about?" "I had promised that she could come with us when I brought you back to Christmas Town. We should go soon because it will be getting dark in about the next two hours." "Alright. But try to keep her out of mischief." Jack chuckled. "You've never actually had to care for a young child, have you Santa? Keeping one out of mischief is about as easy as taking off in a heavy fog with no way to see where you're going." Sally walked over to them. "In other words, impossible." Then Sara ran back down the stairs, wearing a black and white striped dress and had a gray coat in her arms.

When they were about to reach the clearing that had the doors, Sara shuddered violently. "What's wrong Sara? Are you cold?" "No. Something bad is here. We shouldn't be here daddy." "Don't worry sweetie, we'll be fine." "Alright daddy, but please be careful." "Of course I will Sara." Santa was getting worried. The little girl's behavior was just strange. Suffering from nightmares that she apparently shouldn't be having, and then saying that they shouldn't be here, which is where he needed to be to get back to his home, where he felt safe. He never much liked coming to Halloween Town. It was just so...strange. And some of the creatures that lived here. Santa had to suppress a shudder. 

"We're here!" Jack lifted Sara out of the vehicle while Santa climbed out. As Jack turned to face the door that they needed to go through Sara screamed. Jack immediately whirled around to see what it was, but he could see nothing but two doors. One had a green plant with four leaves and the other had a large red heart. He looked at his daughter, who was still whimpering and shaking. "What is it Sara?" "That's the door. That's the door. That's the one he came out of. That's the one you opened and he came out of it. You opened it and he came out and he...he...he..." Sara started sobbing. Jack stood, looking curiously at the doors, trying to figure out what Sara was talking about while he tried to calm her down.

After Sara had calmed down Jack just looked at Santa and walked towards the door. "Don't worry Sara, we're going to see the reindeer now." "Thank you daddy." Then they went through the door, Santa close behind.

When they arrived at Christmas town Sara's first reaction was to pull back from the bright colors and strange noises. Then she looked around, and saw what they were standing in. "Snow!" Sara jumped out of her father's arms and landed in the white powder. Unfortunately it was very high where they were, reaching almost to Jack's knees. Jack laughed and dug Sara out of the snow. She was laughing and absolutely covered in snow. Jack started laughing too, and brought her too a hill. He found a sled and sat both of them down on it. As they went down the hill Sara shrieked in pure delight and Jack kept laughing.

By the time Santa had reached his home and Mrs. Clause had reached the hill to greet the guests Sara and Jack had created a snowman and snowchild and were busy creating their tenth set of snow angels. "Hello, I'm Mrs. Claus. You must be Jack, my husband was telling me about you. I must say, from what I've heard of Halloween town, I certainly wouldn't like to visit there." Sara clambered out of the snow and made her way over to Mrs. Claus. "You're being very mean. You just aren't used to what we're like. You shouldn't say stuff about us if you don't even know us." Sara frowned and crossed her arms over her chest indignantly. "My my, you're certainly a smart child." Jack picked Sara up and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Why thank you Mrs. Claus. And I am sorry that you have such a poor opinion of my people. Hopefully we shall be able to correct that opinion." Sara giggled. "Daddy, you said shall again. You should stop reading shake...shakespe..." "Shakespeare sweetie." "Oh yeah! Well you should stop reading it, it makes you talk funny." Jack laughed as he followed Mrs. Claus to her house. 

  
  
I'm SO sorry that I took so long to get this chapter out. It had completely slipped my mind until Miyuki reminded me about it. Thank you! And as always, Please Review!


	3. Chapter 3

When Jack, Sara, and Mrs. Calus arrived at the house Santa was sitting in front of the fireplace, eating some milk and cookis. There was another plate full of freshly baked cookies (courtesy of the elves) and two glasses of milk sitting on a table near the door. Sara immediatly jumped out of Jack's arms and ran to the cookies, grabbing as many as would fit into her small fist and retreating to a nearby chair. Jack laughed, grabbing the glasses of milk and sitting in the chair next to his daughter. Mrs. Claus also sat down, and the four of them talked amiably until Jack noticed that Sara had fallen asleep, still holding two cookies in her hand.  
  
"Well, I should be going, it's very late. Thank you for your hospitality, and I hope that we'll have another chance to talk like this again soon."  
  
Jack picked up Sara and walked back to the door to Halloween town.  
  
The next morning, when Sara awoke, she realized that her coat had been left back at Santa's house. She looked around the house for her parents, but they had left a note that they ahd gone shopping and would be back soon. Deciding that christmas town wasn't very far away, and she could get back before they even realized she was gone, Sara grabbed her luck charm (a doll her mother had made for her) and headed off to the forest. As she passed the cemetery, she heard barking. SHe paused, then laughed and waved.  
  
"Zero! C'mere boy!"  
  
The ghost dog quickly hovered over to her, followed by four others, one the same size as Zero, with a pink nose, and three little ones, one with a pink nose, and two with blue. Sara laughed as she petted them.  
  
"So, how're you all doing? Zero? Wight? Shiroi? Kuroi? Tiny?"  
  
Each dog barked as Sara said their name. Sara laughed again.  
  
"Well, I have to go. I'll see you later!"  
  
Sara waved goodbye to them as she ran towards the forest.  
  
Sara wandered around in the forest for a couple minutes before she came upon the clearing. She felt a chill go down her spine, but ignored it and headed towards the door for christmas town. As she reached out her hand to open the door, a door on the opposite side of the clearing blew open, and Sara was sucked in. As the heart-shaped door closed, a low, frightening chuckle was heard.  
  
Jack stepped into the house, followed by ally. After a moment without Sara's usual greeting yell, Jack walked into the kitchen to put the groceries away.  
  
"Hm. I guess she's still asleep."  
  
Sally smiled.  
  
"I'll go check on her."  
  
In a dark room, lit only by an eerie red glow, Sara struggled against the ropes that bound her to the chair. Something on the other side of the room, hidden in shadows, spoke.  
  
"You're not Jack. But I sensed Jack. How strange. You must be related to him, but he was the only one, as far as I know. Unless....Yes, it is possible, it has been such a long time. You're his daughter, aren't you?"  
  
Sara glared, but nothing more.  
  
_Oh, I wish I hadn't dropped Lucky back in the clearing, I had a dagger hidden in her. Of course, I don't know what good it would do against ~him~_  
  
The creature stepped out of the shadows, closer to Sara. She looked up at the large talking bag defiantly. He tiltde his head.  
  
"Yes, you're his daughter. It's obvious now, you're faces are almost exactly the same. Well, not what I had been planning on, but you'll do just fine."  
  
Oogey Boogey laughed, and Sara shrunk back against her chair.  
  
Sally ran down the stairs.  
  
"Jack! Jack, she's gone! Sara's gone!"  
  
Jack spun to face her.  
  
"What? Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes. Come on, we have to find her."  
  
Jack nodded.  
  
"You ask around town, I'll see if Zero and his family have seen her."  
  
Sally nodded and left, Jack close behind her.  
  
As soon as he reached the graveyard, Zero yipped happily, signalling the rest of his family, as he glided to Jack. Jack sighed.  
  
"Not now boy. Have you seen Sara? She's missing."  
  
Zero nodded, and motioned towards the forest.  
  
"Oh no... Zero, can you track her scent?"  
  
Zero barked, and was quicly on the trail, his family and Jack following close behind.  
  
Zero stopped in the middle of the clearing, hovering next to Sara's doll. Jack picked it up.  
  
"What was she doing here?"  
  
Jack thought for a moment, fingering the soft fabric of the doll's coat. Suddenly he remembered.  
  
"Her coat! I left in christmas town. She must have gone back to get it. *sigh* Well, at least she's in a safe place. I'll go get her."  
  
As Jack reached for the cristmas door, Zero barked, pointing towards a different door.  
  
"Are you sure Zero? She knows that this door leads to christmas town, she wouldn't go in the wrong one by mistake."  
  
Jack paused, as he remembered what had happened last night, when he had turned to open the christmas door. The dorr, a large red heart shape, was directly across from the christmas door.   
  
"Her nightmare....but why would she go in there, if she was scared of it?"  
  
Zero just barked at the door again.  
  
"I've got to go get her."  
  
Jack put the small doll in his pocket, told Zero and his family to stay, and went in.  
  
Sara watched as Oogey worked on making some strange machine, when he suddenly sat straight up, eyes glowing.  
  
"He's here. Well, well, well, looks like we should go greet him."  
  
Oogey picked up Sara, untying her from the chair, then binding her with a large strip of cloth, then throwing her over his shoulder, and walking out of the room.  
  
Jack looked at the town he arrived in, and barely repressed a shudder. Christmas town had been interesting, but this place seemed to be the exact opposite of Halloween town, almost too cheery, plus there was just so much _pink_. Jack sighed and walkd around, hoping for some sign of Sara.  
  
Sara, from her perch on Oogey's shoulder, spotted her father before Oogey did, and tried yelling at him to run, But Oogey realized what she was doing and stoppde her.  
  
"Why thank you, my dear, for letting me know that he was right there. Well, shall we go test out my new toy?"  
  
Oogey chuckled as he heldup the machine he had been working on, some sort of gun. He had tested it on one of the residents of Valentine town earlier, and there hadn't even been a pile of dust left.  
  
As Oogey aimed the weapon, Sara tried to think. As the weapon powered up, she realized that there was only one thing she could do. As Oogey was about to fire, Sara rolled off of his shoulder, onto the gun, knocking it off target. It was too late to stop it, and the weapon fired. Sara had rooled a little too far, laening slightly over the nose of the gun. The energy beam caught her shoulder, the force of it knocking her a couple meters away, down onto he cobblestone street. Jack heard the shot, saw her daughter slammed into the ground, bleweding from her shoulder, and Oogey, holding some sort of gun. Barely even eralizing what he was doing, and too angry to care, Jack drew on every negative thought in Valentine town, ceoncetrating it. The wirling purple mass in his hands stopped growing after a few minutes, and Jack shouted as he threw it with deadly accuracy at Oogey.  
  
"HOW DARE YOU ATTACK HER!"  
  
The purple mass of negative thoughts and feelings surrounded Oogey, leaving nothing left. Once Jack caught his breath, but before he realized just what he had done, he ran over to Sara and carefully held her.  
  
"Sara, are you alright?"  
  
"Don't worry about me, daddy. It oesn't even hurt. Are you okay?"  
  
Jack lughed, hugging Sara delicately.  
  
"Come on Sara, Mommy'll have that healed up in no time."  
  
Sara smiled.  
  
"Thank you daddy."  
  
Sara leaned her head against Jack's chest and fell asleep.  
  
When Sally saw Jack walk into town, holding Sara in his arms, she sighed and ran over to him. Then she saw the bright red spot covering Sara's shoulder.  
  
"Jack! What happened?!"  
  
Jack sighed.  
  
"I'll tell you once Sara's taken care of."  
  
Sally nodded and carefully took Sara from her husband, seeing how soul-tired he was.  
  
Once Sara was bandaged up and asleep in her bed, Sally turned to face Jack.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Jack sighed, resting his head in his hands.  
  
"It was Oogey. I don't know how he survived, or how he managed to get through a door, but it was him."  
  
"Oogey?! Is he still alive?"  
  
"No. I...I used the emotio-sphere."  
  
Sally's eyes widened, then she hugged Jack.  
  
"I'm sorry, Jack. I know how much you hate using that. But don't beat yourself up over using it, you only did it to protect Sara, and that's plenty of a reason."  
  
Jack nodded slightly, and Hugged Sally back.   
  
From the stairwell, Sara watched the entire scene. But there was somethign different about her. Her eyes, instead of the normal black void, her glowing purple, and she seemed older.  
  
"He's accepting his gifts. Good. Now bringing this child up to accept her full potential will be much easier."  
  
She chuckled quietly, then walked back to Sara's room. If anyone with proper eyesight had seen this, it would have looked like a glowing purple ghost woman was leading Sara back to bed.  
  
  
  
Ooh...A new character...Well, should I leave this story where it is, with everyone wondering what the heck that last bit was about, or should I keep writing? Please, tell me. 


End file.
